Visma CEO Plugge apologises to the father of the late Finlay Tarling after rider protest at Il Lombardia
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Follow us on GoogleOn Saturday, Richard Plugge publicly apologized via X to Michael Tarling, the father of the late cyclist Finlay Tarling. In light of his son’s death and several incidents this week, the peloton halted at the start of the Tour of Lombardy on Saturday.
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Tarling died earlier this year during the Tour of Portugal. The young British rider, who competed for NSN, was struck by a car driver that had driven onto the course. The car struck the rider head-on and he died at the scene. This reignited discussions about safety in the sport.
Incidents continue even after the death of Tarling
Things went wrong again this week. At Tre Valli Varesine, Marcel Camprubi and Thomas Gloag (Pinarello - Q36.5) were struck by a police motorbike rider traveling in the wrong direction, following earlier incidents involving cars on the road during the Coppa Bernocchi and Giro dell'Emilia.
On Saturday, the peloton staged a collective protest before the start of the Tour of Lombardy in response to these incidents.
Evenepoel's statement during the Protest
Remco Evenepoel then took the floor. “We want to make a statement because there have been too many incidents involving vehicles during the races,” the European champion began. “First of all, we’ve lost a colleague and a brother,” he said, referring to Tarling.
"We want to show that the world can no longer accept that young men are getting injured—or even dying. That's why we want to take five minutes to make our statement to the organizations, to the public, and to everyone who follows cycling."
Read more below the photo!
Statement from Tarling's Father
The protest prompted immediate reactions, including one from Michael Tarling, Finlay’s father. “We are so grateful, moved, and proud of Fin’s teammates today for making a statement at the Tour of Lombardy,” he said on X.
“Things need to change, and no other family should have to receive the phone call we received on August 14. We sincerely hope that the UCI will listen and that changes will be made.”
Visma CEO Richard Plugge responds
Plugge responded to that as well. “I’m sorry that nothing has really happened yet. We often think of you and your family. And we share your hope that real action will be taken. It’s sad that riders have to do this.”
"SafeR was founded as an independent body that could have made a difference, but unfortunately became a political construct without bringing about any substantive changes. "We need to protect riders and ensure they can race safely, with an independent organization that oversees the tracks, rules, and so on," he says, explaining his intentions.
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
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- Great ride from Seixas, but I’m slightly surprised Evenepoel couldn’t follow when the pace went up. Was it simply fatigue, or did the climb not suit him this year?cyclechamp4510-10-2026
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- Seixas was phenomenal on the Civiglio. Evenepoel’s honesty is refreshing too—fourth place on a bad day still shows just how strong he is.tourdeforce910-10-2026
- I’m a bit confused by the photo finish explanation—if the image shows time rather than distance, how can it prove who crossed first? And why was the result not explained immediately after the race?velodromevirtuoso109-10-2026
- 13,000 captures per second is some serious technology! Still, I can understand why Ciccone felt frustrated when the margin was so tiny. Hopefully the organisers publish the full image so fans can see exactly what happened.patriciaw09-10-2026
- Evenepoel handled this well. No need to turn a razor-thin result into a bigger argument, especially with the governing body confirming the procedure. That jersey and Specialized bike combination should look absolutely brilliant in Lombardy.cadencekingm09-10-2026
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